In his sermon titled 'Paul's Arrival In Rome,' David Green discusses the final part of Paul's journey to Rome as described in Acts chapter 28. The journey began after wintering on an Alexandrian ship marked with the sign of Castor and Pollux, which held significance in Greek mythology for protecting sailors. Green emphasizes the precise historical accuracy of the Bible, as demonstrated by Luke's detailed account of places visited. He addresses potential confusion about the term 'compass' in the King James Version, clarifying that it referred to sailing around rather than a navigational device. Green reflects on the metaphorical parallels between Paul's journey and the Christian life, highlighting the unexpected challenges believers face with the assurance of God's presence. The sermon also focuses on the encouragement Paul received from fellow Christians and the fulfillment of God's promise for Paul to reach Rome. Green concludes by reiterating the unchanged gospel message and calls for belief in Jesus Christ as the way to heaven.

Acts chapter 28. You have your Bibles. And we'll be at verse 11, reading on down to verse 16. It's another beautiful day. We're thankful for it.

Acts chapter 28, beginning of verse 11, and after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. Landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days, And from thence we fetched a compass, came to Rejuam. After one day the south wind blew and we came the next day to Puteoli, where we found brethren and were desired to tarry with them seven days, and so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, They came to meet us as far as Apli Forum in the three taverns, whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage. When we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.

My title of my message this evening is on the subject of Paul's arrival in Rome, Paul's arrival to Rome. At the end of three months' time, they set sail from where they had been on an Alexandrian ship. Luke records here that the ship's sign was Castor and Pollux. Now that doesn't mean much to you and me sitting here in Brunswick in Georgia That could be the name of anything but to the original readers of the Book of Acts, that meant something. That had some significance, because Castor and Pollux were the twin sons of Zeus according to Greek mythology.

And they so named their ship, they used that sign for that ship because these were believed to help protect sailors. Remember the Greeks were very superstitious in that way. They were very religious and they held to many different beliefs, many different gods. They were a polytheistic society, much like the Romans were that way, the Greeks were that way, Paul, Luke, and those missionaries were around that sort of thing quite often. Well, on their way, they stopped at Syracuse, Regum, and Petioli, all places that you can find on a map of the ancient world.

Luke is very, very precise in his detailing of where they went and how they got there. The Bible is a is a historically accurate book. It's more than that, of course, but when the Bible speaks, Or as the Bible authors wrote about historical places and peoples, this is all accurate. And Luke was very accurate in detailing these places. What's that tell us?

Well, it tells us that we can trust the Bible. We can trust the Bible when it talks about science, we can trust the Bible when it talks about history, we can trust the Bible, most importantly, on spiritual and eternal matters. This is all very important because here is the way to get to heaven. This is the way in which that we can be saved. The way that we can please the God of the universe.

And so we can trust the Bible. Now verse 13, we find something very very curious there. And so it says, from thence we fetched a compass. From thence we fetched a compass. This is one of the times that if you're not careful, a skeptic, a Bible skeptic might kind of get a hold of you and trip you up a little bit.

And you might get tripped up by the words that are found in the King James version. Not that the King James is wrong, but words do change and words have changed. But here's where the trouble can come. In Paul's day, in Luke's day, there were no navigational compasses. So when we read about a compass, when we read about a compass, we often think about a magnetic navigational compass.

But the thing is, Paul and those who were with him could not be going to fetch one of those because they had not been invented yet. And so what is the meaning of this verse? What's going on here? Well, to understand it, we can go back and we can look at the Greek, we can compare it with some other translations and see what's going on. The New King James, for instance, says, from there we circled round.

The Legacy Standard Bible says, from there we sailed around. And so, the King James translators aren't saying that they went and fetched a magnetic device to be able to use in navigation. No, no, no. They're saying that they went, that they circled around or sailed around. And our fathers, our grandfathers, our great grandfathers, those who were translating the King James, they would have understood it as such.

And so, don't get confused by that. Don't let the skeptics trip you up. The Bible is accurate. The King James translators were not wrong. They weren't throwing something in there before the time and all that sort of thing.

Paul was not going to grab a compass anymore than he would have gone back to go get his iPhone, right? This is accurate. And so just understand that. And so if you're here with that sort of thing, you will know how to answer that sort of question. What we read here in this passage is that Paul's journey to Rome, we go all the way back to verse 1, and we see all of this, we see the shipwreck and we see the things that were going on, this could be a metaphor for Christian lives.

We as believers often face unexpected detours and challenges in our own lives, in our own journeys. But rest assured, God is with us every step of the way. So, what a blessing that is. Well, verse 14, look it there with me. When we found, where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days, so we went toward Rome.

As they went, they came to this place called Putey Oli. I'm sure I'm mispronouncing it, but they came to a place and it was the chief port of Rome, 140 miles southwest of Rome. There were Christians there who desired of Paul that he should be there. They were able to stay Seven days Enjoying Christian fellowship before departing then they went on by foot Towards Rome What a joy it was they found these brethren and they carried with them for that time period. Verse 15, and from thence when the brethren heard of us they came to meet us as far as Appiah Forum and the three taverns whom when Paul saw he thanked God and took courage.

As Paul and those who were with him, Luke and the others, as they made their journey onward, They were met by other Christians. They came from all over, from Api Forum and the three taverns. They came to greet Paul. You know, They wanted to have some fellowship with him and to meet him. Well, how in the world would they have heard of Paul?

Well Remember there was a letter that Paul had written to the Romans. We know it today. That epistle, we know it as the book of Romans. Paul's letter had no doubt circulated amongst the Christians. That excellent book, that excellent letter, that epistle had probably circulated amongst those Christians.

And they longed to see Him, to meet Him in the flesh. Their excitement is seen in the fact that they didn't wait for Him to get to Rome. They didn't go to Rome to wait for Him. No, no, they met him on the way. They went to where he was and then they traveled with him to get to Rome.

What a blessing this was for Paul as he journeyed and as he neared that capital city, to be encouraged by these Christians. And when Paul saw them, Paul was with them. The Bible says that he took courage, was thankful to God. You and I, we don't know sometimes what it means to other Christians, just our presence. Oh, we don't know who the Lord may send on our path, but he sends the right people the right times, just when we need them.

And these Christians came out of their way to go and see the preacher. What a blessing that was. Let us encourage one another as much as we can. In verse 16, It says, and when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. They kept him.

Remember back in Acts chapter 23, go back there with me for just a moment. Acts 23 verse 11 says in the night following the Lord stood by him and said be of good cheer Paul for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem so must thou bear witness also at Rome." So Jesus had promised that He would make it to Rome, and now, chapter 28, we read of Him making it there. This was a fulfillment of God's promise that He had made earlier to Paul. You and I, we don't have God speaking to us audibly the way that He did in Bible times, but beloved, We have a Bible full of God's promises. And we can trust that every one of God's promises He will keep.

There's not a promise that He's not able to keep. There's not a promise that He's lied about. No, God will keep all of His promises. And indeed, just as much as God loved Paul, God was walking with Paul and taking care of Paul, so He's with us. He will fulfill all of His promises to us.

Just as much as he promised to take care of those men and women in Bible times, so he'll take care of us too. And we can rejoice in that. Now the centurion delivered all the other prisoners to the captain of the guard. Yet Paul remained by himself in the custody of the soldier. Custody of the soldier.

And I'm sure knowing Paul, as much as we've learned about the apostle Paul, His ministry, I am sure that that soldier heard the gospel, maybe more than once from the lips of the apostle. You know, When Paul wrote to the Romans, he told them he had a desire to get to Rome to preach. Go with me over there to Romans chapter 1. Even though we're not going to finish the book of Acts tonight, it's important that we lay this out very, very clearly. To know what was on Paul's mind and heart when it came to the Romans.

Romans chapter 1 in this epistle, his longing to visit Rome, look there in verse 8, going down to verse 15. Look what he says here. First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers. Making request, if by any means, now at length, I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end you may be established. That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now, I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, but was let hitherto, that I might have some fruit among you also even as among other Gentiles. I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians both to the wise and to the unwise So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also." See, Paul had a desire to preach the gospel. He had a desire to preach the gospel to those who were at Rome.

And he had a heart for them. He knew what his mission was. His mission was for the people in Rome. Now when he got there, it wasn't the way that he planned it. He didn't plan to go there as a prisoner.

He didn't plan there to be there as chained up to a Roman guard. But that's where he was. That's where he was. So I ask you today, do you know the gospel message? Have you heard the gospel?

Have you been obedient to the gospel message. What did Paul say about the gospel? To the church at Corinth, he said this. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 In 1st Corinthians chapter 15 He said moreover brethren I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to scriptures That he was buried and they rose again the third day according to the scriptures. So Jesus came to die for the sins of people.

He came to die for my sins. He came to die for your sins. If you'll trust Him today, It's the only way that you'll get to heaven. And so, I point you to him. That's the message that Paul preached.

It was no accident that Paul made it to Rome. It's no accident that we're here today. The message has not changed. The way to heaven has not changed. Jesus is the way.

Believe on him. Repent of your sins and trust Jesus. And that is the message that we preach. Brother Barry, would you please pray for us? Thank you.